Songs of Innocence and Experience by William Blake

Songs of Innocence and Experience. (1794) by William Blake

Songs of Innocence

Introduction

Piping down the valleys wild

Piping songs of pleasant glee,

On a cloud I saw a child,

And he laughing said to me:

Pipe a song about a Lamb:

So I piped with merry chear.

Piper, pipe that song again -

So I piped: he wept to hear.

Drop thy pipe, thy happy pipe,

Sing thy songs of happy chear:

So I sung the same again,

While he wept with joy to hear.

Piper, sit thee down and write

In a book that all may read -

So he vanish’d from my sight

And I pluck’d a hollow reed,

And I made a rural pen

And I stain’d the water clear

And I wrote my happy songs,

Every child may joy to hear.

The Shepherd

How sweet is the Shepherd's sweet lot!

From the morn to the evening he strays;

He shall follow his sheep all the day

And his tongue shall be filled with praise.

For he hears the lambs innocent call,

And he hears the ewes tender reply.

He is watchful while they are in peace,

For they know when their Shepherd is nigh.

The Ecchoing Green

The Sun does arise

And make happy the skies,

The merry bells ring

To welcome the Spring:

The skylark and thrush

The birds of the bush

Sing louder around

To the bells' chearful sound,

While our sports shall be seen

On the Ecchoing Green.

Old John with white hair

Does laugh away care

Sitting under the oak

Among the old folk.

They laugh at our play,

And soon they all say:

Such, such were the joys

When we all girls & boys

In our youth-time were seen

On the Ecchoing Green

Till the little ones weary

No more can be merry,

The sun does descend,

And our sports have an end:

Round the laps of their mothers

Many sisters and brothers,

Like birds in their nest,

Are ready for rest:

And sport no more seen

On the darkening Green.

The Lamb

Little Lamb, who made thee?

Dost thou know who made thee?

Gave thee life & bid thee feed

By the stream & o'er the mead:

Gave thee clothing of delight,

Softest clothing, woolly, bright:

Gave thee such a tender voice,

Making all the vales rejoice:

Little Lamb, who made thee,

Dost thou know who made thee?

Little Lamb, I'll tell thee,

Little Lamb, I'll tell thee:

He is called by thy name

For he calls himself a Lamb.

He is meek & he is mild,

He became a little child:

I a child & thou a lamb,

We are called by his name:

Little Lamb god bless thee,

Little Lamb god bless thee!

The Little Black Boy

My mother bore me in the southern wild,